The Mini Cooper SE is my favourite EV of the yr

The model new all-electric Mini Cooper SE is a far cry from my first automobile. That was a Seventies Mini panel van, which was cute however hopelessly unrefined and hideously sluggish. This EV, alternatively, is basically a scorching hatch, although there’s a trunk lid relatively than a liftback. It’s additionally very refined, with the mannequin I’ve been driving this final week that includes numerous extras that give it a premium really feel.

For me, nonetheless, the primary enchantment of the Mini Cooper SE is the best way it drives. Anybody who finds most EVs mundane to drive ought to attempt one out as a result of it’s a riot, with oodles of efficiency and nice dealing with on faucet. Whereas the most recent incarnation of the Mini may feel and appear 1,000,000 miles away from the unique imaginative and prescient, it’s obtained a shocking quantity in frequent with earlier automobiles. That ranges from retro styling touches by to the go-kart model buzz delivered when behind the wheel.

I’ve pushed among the best electric cars this yr, together with the good Hyundai Ionic N. The Mini Cooper SE can now be a part of the record; it’s a blast. Even in case you’re a purist and suppose the brand new mannequin is a bit too far faraway from the unique, it’s value experiencing if just for the shock you’ll get when pushing down on the accelerator pedal.

Editor’s selection

Mini Cooper SE

The Mini Cooper SE hits the spot on nearly each degree. It’s an important trying automobile, each inside and outside. The up to date inside advantages from some good tech, together with a retro-but-modern central touchscreen. It’s snug too, however the very best bit is the driving expertise, which is all the pieces a small EV needs to be.

Engine

Electrical motor powered by Lithium-ion battery

Drive Structure

Two-wheel drive

Horsepower

330 kW / 215 hp

0-60mph

6.7 seconds

Torque

330 Nm

High Pace

106 mph

Transsmission

Computerized

Execs

• Enjoyable to drive, with efficiency and dealing with to match
• Refined with consolation and loads of tech on faucet
• Glorious revisioning of unique Mini

Cons

• Trunk lid must be slammed shut
• Costly if all of the trim choices are added

Develop

Worth, specs, and availability

The mannequin I’ve been testing is a top-of-the-range trim version, which is fitted with greater than £5,000 value of optionally available extras. Which means it comes with a hefty £33,920 (simply over $45,000) price ticket. Anybody who can do with out the additional trimmings can lop a bit of change off the asking value, and it isn’t going to be to any actual detriment of the driving expertise both.

Design and construct

Traditional seems to be simply obtained higher

To be trustworthy, I haven’t been an enormous fan of the trendy Mini. They’re massively well-liked, and I see them all over the place, however I’ve by no means felt like I needed to personal one. All that has modified with the arrival of the Mini Cooper SE. Possibly it’s the colour mixture I obtained to attempt, which featured a Blazing Blue exterior topped with an excellent white roof, black tinted glass and sporty 18-inch alloy wheels. It seems to be the enterprise.

Whereas the general design could be very fashionable, there’s additionally sufficient retro stuff occurring that helps to maintain the essence of what made the unique mini so tempting. There are nonetheless loads of styling touches that assist hold the automobile related although, with my take a look at automobile that includes glorious adaptive LED headlights and folding mirrors that helpfully auto-dimmed as and after I wanted them to. A panoramic glass sunroof offered the icing on the cake.

The inside take

Premium really feel on the within

Admittedly, my take a look at automobile had unique trim content material and over £5,000’s value of choices, but it surely was nonetheless an actual deal with to sit down within the cockpit. The white trimmed seats have that basic Mini look, however are far more snug. There’s an excellent little steering wheel too, which lets me perform loads of automobile management choices as a substitute of utilizing the touchscreen, and the electrical heated seats helped to take the sting off cooler fall temperatures.

I might need been spoiled with this trim degree, but it surely left me feeling like the additional price was justified. The inside of the Mini Cooper SE is absolutely fairly particular and one of many comfiest small automobile cockpits I’ve been in just lately.

The know-how breakdown

Numerous tech treats to take pleasure in

My previous Mini had nothing in the best way of tech, and the Cooper SE reveals simply how far we’ve include interiors. The beauty of that is that Mini’s designers retained the unique feel and appear. Living proof: The central Speedo, which is now a touchscreen that bristles with all the pieces I want, together with a wonderful satellite tv for pc navigation system. It may be custom-made too and even switched into Go-Kart mode, whereby the display adjustments to swimsuit the event. The retro mode, in the meantime, makes the show appear like it did in previous Minis.

My Cooper SE additionally got here with a small heads-up show, a bunch of the standard driver aids and wi-fi telephone charging, plus consolation touches, together with heated seats. Cleverly, it’s the little particulars that make all of the distinction, with a button panel beneath the Speedo display, which has an on/off toggle for the ability the place the unique automobile ignition key was once situated. The Harmon Kardon encompass audio system sounded superb, too.

Battery, vary and efficiency

I drove an earlier model of the all-electric Mini, and it was superb, however nowhere close to pretty much as good as the brand new mannequin. With 215 horsepower to play with, this automobile is all the time desperate to get on down the highway, with the 0 to 60mph time of 6.7 seconds seeming even faster than that as a result of its compact measurement. The opposite main enchantment of the Cooper SE is its vary, with the official determine of 244 miles proving actually sensible. I additionally discovered the battery to be quick and easy to charge, with the 95kW most charging capability which means my stops have been usually performed and dusted in lower than half-hour.

Must you purchase the Mini Cooper SE?

I’m completely bought on the Mini Cooper SE. It’s obtained all the pieces I like about small electrical automobiles. There’s the efficiency and dealing with, which could be tweaked and fine-tuned to offer much more enjoyable relying in your temper and the driving scenario. This automobile has a sensible vary too, with the power to get it charged in subsequent to no time as nicely. Add on the fab design, nice coloration mixture and old-meets-new styling touches and that is one very robust package deal. Nice stuff.

Editor’s selection

Mini Cooper SE